Panel and pedal mechanism for musical instruments.



II. I. LA JOIE. PANEL AND PEDAL MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

` APPLICATION FILED NOV. I0. 19141 1,261,137.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.. 3 SHEETS-SHEETI llIHld L aga-:f

. H. 1. M1015.l PANEL AND PEDAL MEQHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

APPLLCATIGN FILED NOV. 10. 19%4.

Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

` w M LA* n QV n) S O f Q www w l1 gow-yy N A A A f H. J. LA JOIE. PANEL AND PEDAL MECHAMSM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

I APPLICATION FILED NOV.- 10. 1914. 1,261,137. Patented Apr. 2, 1918.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

LUNTEI) STATES PATENT QFFCE.

HERBERT J'. LA JOIE, OF ORANGE, NEWv JERSEY, ASSIGNOR, TO AUTOPIANO COMPANY,

A CORPORATION 0F NEW YORK.

PANEL AND'PEDAL MECHANISM FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Fatented Apr. 2, 1918.

Application led November 10, 1914. Serial No. 871,394.

To all whom t may concern v Be it known that I, HERBERT J. LA Joni, a citizen of the United States,1residing at Orange, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented a new and useful Panel and Pedal Mechanism for Musical Instruments, of which the' following is a speciiication.

One forin-l of automatic `musical instrument is operated vfrom pedals which are housed in the casing behind a vertically movable panel or door when the instrument is not to be used. When the instrument is to be used, the panel or door is raised to open the aperture and then the pedals are swung out to operative position. When the instrument is to be closed, the pedals-are moved into the casing and the doorlowered to close the aperture.

It is thel object of the present invention to provide mechanisms whereby the panel can be raised to uncover the opening in the casing, and the pedals moved out to operative position at one operation; or the pedals moved back intothe casing Ioi the instrument and the panel lowered-to close the aperture at another operation, and also to arrange the mechanism so that, these operations can be performed from one handleor lever.

The best form of apparatus for practising the invention nowknown to me is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which,

Figure 1 is a front view of an instrument with the pedals housed-.inside of the casing and the panel lowered to close the aperture;

Fig. 2 is a view with the panel raised to open the aperture and the pedals moved out to operative position;

Fig. 2a is a detail view of the operating handle; Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged crosssectional elevation showing the relative arrangement of panel and pedals when the latter are housed in the casing;

Fig.' 4 Vis a similar view illustrating the position yof parts when the pedalsare in operative position;

Fig.v 5 isa front elevation of part of the operating mechanism in the position occupied when the instrument is closed;

' Fig. 6 is a view similar to fFigQ'5, but showing the parts in the position occupied after the door has been opened; and

Fig, 7 is also a view similar to Fig. '5, but showing the parts in the position occupied when the instrument is ready for operation. Referring to the drawing and in detail,

A designates the casing of an instrument i which has a suitable aperture or opening in the front thereof, which opening can be closed by a panel or door B tted to slide vertically in suitable ways onthe inside `of the casing.

P--P designate the pedals. The pedals are pivotedto a bar 10, which is connected by links 11, to a shaft 12 `iournaled in suitable blocks inside of the casing, the links beingbent as shown. The pedals, bar and links can be turned up insideof the casing, as shown in Fig. 3, or the pedals can be moved out to operativeposition outsideot'- the casing, vasshown in Eig. 4, by rotating engaging this pinion is a sector 16, which Y,

has an extending arm 17, which is connected by a link 18 to a crank-arm 19 Ytorment .on the end ot a shaft 20, journaled in suitable bearings carried by the casing and on the front end of which is arranged a crank-arm 21 having a pin or roller 22, which is operated, as hereinafter described. By 'turningf the crank-arm 21 one way or the other, the pedals will be swunginto or out of the casing.

A shaft 23 is ournaled in a block or bearing secured to the casing and has an operating handle formed or attached to its outerV end, and a crank-arm 25 formed or secured to its inner end. A link Q6 is connected to the arm 25 and to a bar 27, which is yfitted to slide horizontally in a' bearing-on the insideof the casing.

Secured to, and below, the lett-hand end of the bar 27, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, is a plate or bar 28 which has a downwardly extending cam-shaped portion 29, engaging which is a leaf-spring 30, which tends to push the same and the lett-hand end of the sliding bar 27' upwardly. The plate Q8 has a notch 3l, which engages a pin 32 secured to the short arm of a pivoted bell-crank lever 33, the longer arm or which is connected by a link 34 to the sliding door or panel B.

The short arm ot' the bell-crank lever 323 has an extension 36, secured to which, and to the casing, is a spring 37 which, by pulling on said extension, tends to counter-balance the weight of the sliding panel or door B.

The sliding bar 27 has a plate 3S secured to, and above, the same, the left-hand part 39 of said plate being inclined or camshaped, as shown, and set in position to cooperate with a stud or roller l() secured to the frame-work. The plate 3S has a notch 41 set in position to engage the crank-pin or roller 22.

The operation of these parts is as follows: When the panel or door is lowered to close the aperture in the casing, and the pedals are swung up into the instrument, the parts occupy the position shown m Figs. l, 3 and 5. Y

lVhen it is desired to play the instrument, the operator takes hold of the handle 24k and swings the same, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. l. This will move the sliding bar 27 to the left, and as the notch on the plate 2S engages the pin 3Q during this operation, the bell-crank lever 33 will be rocked and the sliding door or panel will be raised to open the aperture in the casing. This will bring the operating parts to the position shown in Fig. 6. Just about the time this movement is completed, the incline 39 of the plate 8S will strike the. stud et and the notch il of the plate 38 will engage the pin or roller 22 on the crank-arm 21. The continued rotation of the handle 24 will continue to push the sliding bar 2,7 to the left, but as the incline or cam 39 works on the stud roller 40, the left-hand end oi the sliding bar 27 will have a downward movement, additionally, imparted thereto. This will move the notch 31 clear of the pin 32 and will keep the notch 41 in engagement with the stud 22, so that this continued movement of the sliding bar to the left will operate the connections which control the pedals, and will move the pedals out into operative position, the operating connections then assuming the position shown in Fig. 7.

Thus, by turning the handle 24:, the panel or door is first raised to open the aperture, and then the pedals are swung out into operative position.

A reverse movement of the handle will move the operating parts from the position shown in Fig. 7 to the position shown in Fig. 6, which will swing the pedals up into the casing and then will move the parts 'from the position shown in Fig. (l to the position shown in Fig. 5, which will lower thc panel or door to Close the aperture in the casing.

Thus, the reverse movement ot' the handle 2i will first swing the pedals up into the casing of the instrument and will then lower the panel or door to close the aperture.

By the operations thus described, all that the operator has to do is to throw the operating handle 24 from the position shown in Fig. l to the position shown in Fig. 2, when it desired to open the instrument for playing; or from the position shown in Fig. 2 to the position shown in Fig. 1, when it is desired to close up the instrument.

Many other connections may be devised -t'or carrying out the scope of my invention as exp essed in the claims.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters-Patent is 1. The combination of a musical instrument having a casing, a pedal opening in said casing, a vertically movable panel for said opening, operating pedals in said casing arranged for movement through said opening to operative position outside the asing, an operating handle, a bar slidable by said handle, a member connected to move said panel, a second member connected to move said pedals, and means effective to cause said bar to operatively engage said members successively in timed relation, said means comprising a cam plate on said bar, a iixed stud, and a spring effective to maintain said cam plate in yielding engagement with said stud during the operative movement of said bar.

2. The combination of a musical instrument having a casing, an opening in said casing, a vertically movable panel, operating pedals in said casing and arranged so that they can move to operative position outside the casing, an operating handle, and connections from said operating handle, comprising a sliding bar having a plate with a notch, a crank-pin for said notch to engage, said crank-pin being connected to the pedals, said bar having another plate having a notch, a crank-pin which said notch can engage, and connections from said crank-pin to raise or lower the panel.

3. The combination of a musical instrument having a casing, an opening in said casing, a vertically movable panel, operating pedals in said casing and arranged so that they can move to operative position outside of the casing, an operating handle, and connections from said operating handle, comprising a sliding bar carrying a plate having a notch, a crank-pin which said notch Vengages connected to the panel, said bar having another notched plate, a crank-pin which said notch engages, connections therefrom to the operating pedals, the end ot said notched plate being formed into a cam, and a pin on the casing which said cam engages.

4f. The combination of a musical instrumentA having a casing, an opening in said casing, a vertically movable panel, operating pedals in said casing and arranged so that they can move to operative position outside thel easing, an operating handle, and connections trom said operating handle cemprising a sliding bar, a notched plate secured thereto below the same, a crank-pin with which said notch engages connected to the panel, a notched plate secured to the sliding bar above the same, a crank-pin with which said notch engages, and connections therefrom to the operating pedals.

5. The combination of a musical instrument having a casing, a pedal opening in said casing, a vertically movable panel for said opening, operating` pedals in said easing arranged for movement through said opening to operative position outside the casing, an operating handle, a bar slidable by said handle, member connected to move said panel, a second member connected to move said pedals, and means on said sliding aar effective to canse said bar to operatively engage said members successively in timed relation, said means comprising a cam plate on said bar engaging a fixed stud and thereby moving said bar to successively engage said members.

ln testimony whereof l have hereunto set my hand, in the presence of tivo subscribing Witnesses.

HERBERT J. LA JOUE.

lilitnesses R. Vif. LAWRENCE, *Win L. Kunnen.

Copies of this ypatent' may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner o! Patents,

Washington, B. C. 

